Gravel-bottom for wagon-beds.



W. H. WILTSHIRE.

GAAAvEL Boom Fon wAGoAAA Eins. APPLICATION man sans. A911'.

1,270,085. Patented June18, 1918.

2 SHEETS--SHEE l.

W. H. WILTSMRE. v GRAVEL BOUOM FOR WAGON BEDS.

APPLlcAloN man sEPL. 1911.

Patented June 18, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ArrkN-Ers ITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. WILTSHIRE, OF GILLESPIEVILLE, QHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Application tiled September 8, 1917. Serial No. 190,374.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Wilfr- SHIRE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Gillespieville, in the county of Ross and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Gravel-Bottom for Wagon- Beds, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to wagons or the like for the conveyance of dirt, sand, gravel, asphalt or other loose commodities and has particular reference to the construction of a wagon box or body having movable planks for dumping purposes.

vAmong the objects of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement or construction of the body bottom whereby the movable planks are all interlocked with one another and with the side panels of the body so as to prevent independent longitudinal movement of any of said planks.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved locking means for the bottom planks of such a nature that the connection of one plank to another may be effected practically automatically subject to a iinal locking action of a simple part.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a wagon body for the conveyance of sand, gravel, dirt or other dry loose granular material, said body being so constructed as to prevent the lateral spreading of the side panels between the usual bolsters and stakes and whereby the danger of leakage of the commodity will be practically eliminated, and downward sagging will be prevented.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which-n Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section approximately on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the wagon body and parts directly beneath the same.

Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

"Figfi is a side elevation of a detail as it would be seen from the arrow 4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional detail on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of one of the locking plates such as are applied to the central portion of each plank, excepting the last.

eferring now more particularly to the drawings I show a wagon body comprising vertical side panels 10 and l1 supported at their lower edges upon bolsters 12 and 13 movement at their ends by fixed to the bolsters. end

well known expedient, serving to prevent endwise movement of the side panels. The remainder of the body comprises a series of parallel shiftable or movable planks 18, the general object and nature of which are well understood in the art.

I new call particular attention to the interlocking devices which constitute the principal part of my invention. Fig. 6 indicates a plate 19, the main portion 20 of which is practically rectangular and is adapted to be fixed to the bottom of the central part of any one plank 18 by means of screws or other fasteners passing through suitable holes 21. The main portion of the plate 2() is provided with a longitudinal slot 22 at about the center, the width of the slot being approximately identical with the thickness of the metal of which the plate is made. At one side the plate is provided with a shank 23 terminating in its free end in an upwardly projecting lip 24, the length of which is approximately the same as the length of the slot. The shank 28 is below the plane of the main portion 20 of the plate and the length of the shank is A special form of plate is indicated at 25 and is provided with an upwardly projecting flange or lip 26. This plate 25 is secured to the bottom edge of the side panel body, the lip 26 embracing the outer side of the panel 10. his special plate furthermore is provided with a shank 23 and a lip 24; which are of the same na-` ture and for the same purpose 4as the corresponding features already described.

The last plank is provided with a plate 27 which corresponds substantially -to the rectangular portion 2O of the standard plates 19, the shank 23 and its 11p 24, however, being omitted. lt will now kbe understood that the plates 19, 25 and 27 are so connected jtothe side'- panel j 10 and? planks 18 as to lie in transverse alinement across the middle portion of the bodyplanks which are all in proper position with respect to the side pai'lels andbolsters. lt will be noted furthermore'thatthe lip 24k ofv each plate in `normal position. of the' planks will pro- "ect" in to the slot 22'0 the next plate of the ser-ies'and'hence vso long as thelast plank of. the.y seriesvor any portion of the-seriesis held from Aendwise movement all" 'of thepre.- wiouselementof the same series orporti'on willqbe locked lby their respective Shanks and-"lips,Y j l v ,j

The last plate 27 oY the series is. provided with a` slot '22. that' is the same length as those `already described but adapted to receive two-lips, the lip 24 of the last shank onthe onef'side and a lip 28 of amovable platep29ijshown in thisinstance as pivoted ati 30"to theflower end or edge of a platev 31 ixfedon 'the outer face of the side panel 11. The plate 31 is provided with apair 'ot ears or lugs 32 preferably struck out from the saine at right anglesto the plate and to these earsor" lugs issecured a hanger 33 having pivoted tothe lower extended` end thereof at '34fa lever 35. This is a lever of the first 'class-land is lpivotally connected tok the plate 29fatits inner end by meansl of a` link 36 pivot'ed'at one end at 37 to a lug`38 struck fronrthe plate 29 and at its otherend l39 tothe lever 35. The. plate 29 is so deas t'oA swing upward against thebottome'dge ofthe panel 11 bringing the lip 28 thereof intothe' slot 22 next to the lastv lip 245.... v The lever. 35 and its link connection 36 with the plate 29jare so designed that when thehandle .end ofthe lever is swung `downward the inner end ofv the,y lever swings upwardjtoward or against the plate 29 carrying" the pivotl39spa'st the dead center or bey'ondffthejpljane.common to thepiv'otsie and 37.. KBythisjtime, however, this action of the glfever willforce the lip 2S into the lock? ingjpositi'on already indicated. lty follows thereforeythft this action of thevlever will not onlyforce the plate'29l into locki'ngjposi'-` tion, Abutfwill insure the;l safe holding of the leverin its locking position. i.

'ltfwillfthus be seen thatv not'only will thepiifoted locking -platet 29 make more se-4 curejtliek interlocking action between adj acent planks, but will constitute the nal link Qffwlijatmay be termed a transverse bind.-` ilngfjch'ainfserving tolprevent all; tendency ofthe middle portionsl of thelside panels 10 and V11 'from ybulging laterally under the weightv of the'load and.' hence my construc- When. ity is desired to dump the load the operator will swing the outer end of the ileverri upward bringing the pivot-link and plate down as shown in Fig. 5, where they willlhangidle until the locking devices are to be operated again. Atthetimethe bind ing action is relievedffrom the sidepanels and bottom planksthe operator may lift and turn the last plank or thev one which bears the plate 27 and likewise in turn he may. lift all the other planks, dumping the load inA the usual' mannerthrough the bottomzof. the body. After'the contentslof. the bodyk are. dumped the planks mayy be" put kback in lplace readily beginning first atthe right hand side of Figzf` putting the first. plank downf and sliding, it endwise until the rstlip 2e enters its slot. Each plank. will remain inplace until' the succeeding lanks inV turn vare similarly positioned and ingthe plate29v into dicated in Figf3.

.l claim :v p

l., The herein described pri'sing side, and end panels, movable longitudinal bottom planks fillingthe horizontal space between the bottom edges-ot the side panels, and disconnectible interlocking means coperating with the side two. adjacent planks serving totv hold` the planl's from independent endwise movement.

2. The combination with a wagon; body comprising side and end: panels. andj bottom planks/of a transverse chain of disconnectible interlocking linksv connected to theside panels and, the respectiver planks, 'whereby the planks mayl be vreadily manipulated singly, when unlocked*but are held romall the locking positioninnally locked swingwagon bodyf com.-l i

panels and each independentl movement when locked, substantiallyfasfset.forth. y .Y y

n 3. The. lcombination1 with `afwagon comprising side "panels and bottom planks illing the space between the panels, of a plate secured to .the bottom face of each plank, the. several plank plates. being` ar.-

ranged. in transverse alinement. when ,the`

planks are iny normal position, means. c on-V necting each .j plate with the next adjacent plate, said connecting means permittingree independent movement ofthe planksin suc endwise movement of theplank bearing:l such` l dnm: Plats/seid slotted: platehavns l means copcratng with the .next adjacent slotted plate throughout the series of planks and plates exceptv the last, and means removably connected to the opposite slde panel having interlocking eoperation with the last plate of the forth.

5. In a Wagon body,

series substantially as set the combination of spaced side bars, independently movable bottom planks in said space, separable link de- 10 vices connected to the several planks, and means coperatng with said link devices serving to prevent all movement of the planks enclwise or laterally.

WILLIAM H. WILTSHIRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

